IN BRIEF Los Angeles County / LOS ANGELES COUNTY

Beach Cleanup Removes 64,785 Pounds of Trash

About 9,500 volunteers took part in the 22nd annual California Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday at 58 sites in Los Angeles County, including Leo Carrillo Beach, Belmont Shore, Compton Creek and local beaches.

Cleanup crews collected a handgun off Redondo Beach, a can of crab cakes, a steel-jaw bear trap, a breast pump, what appeared to be a mountain lion carcass and a Rubik's cube, organizers said.

Mark Gold, executive director of Heal the Bay, said he can see improvement in cleanliness at the beaches, which he attributed to efforts by the city of Los Angeles and the county.

But, he said, along inland creeks, "sites are [as] disgusting and filthy as 15 years ago."

The volunteers found about 64,785 pounds of trash and 3,247 pounds of recyclables, organizers said.

"Coastal Cleanup Day isn't just about one day at one beach, but about raising awareness of how each individual can make a positive environmental impact every single day," Gold said in a statement.